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U.S. Downgrades Jerusalem Diplomatic Mission to Palestinians
(AP-U.S. News) Matthew Lee - The U.S. on Thursday downgraded the status of its main diplomatic mission to the Palestinians by placing it under the authority of the U.S. Embassy to Israel. The consulate had for years served as a de facto embassy to the Palestinians. The move was immediately denounced by the Palestinians and hailed by Israel. The step means that the Jerusalem consulate will no longer have a separate channel to Washington to report on Palestinian affairs and will no longer be run by a consul general with authorities tantamount to those of an ambassador. For decades, the Jerusalem consulate has operated differently than almost every other U.S. consulate around the world. Michael Oren, Israel's deputy minister for public diplomacy and a former Israeli ambassador to Washington, said: "A great day for Israel, Jerusalem, and the United States." The announcement "ends the last vestige of American support for the city's division. Israel is deeply grateful."